Pipe cleaning apparatus



April 7, 1964 H. D. GIFFEN PIPE CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR. HARVEY D. GIF F EN H. D. GIFFEN PIPECLEANING APPARATUS April 7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1961INVENTOR. HARVEY D GIFFEN United States Patent 3,127,706 PIPE CLEANINGAPPARATUS Harvey D. Giifen, New Orleans, La. (Rte. 1, Box 80, PearlRiver, La.) Filed Jan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 83,093 9 Claims. (Cl. 51-9)This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning the exterior surfaceof pipe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedmethod of cleaning large diameter pipe lines with hurled abrasives.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means of cleaningall the exterior surface of a pipe without rotating the pipe.

Another object is to provide means of feeding abrasive materials to thecentrifugal elements which hurl the abrasive upon the surface of thepipe.

Another object is to provide means of collecting and cleaning the spentabrasive materials and elevating the material to the feeding system.

Another object is to provide means of adjusting the hurled abrasivepattern to secure maximum impingement on the surface of different sizedpipe.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are sectional views embodying the preferred form of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a composite view showing the relation of the feed conduits andthe throwing wheels. At the left of the center line the throwing wheelsare shown set for the large size pipe and at the right of the centerline the throwing wheels are shown in the position for small pipe.Preferably, the conduits 7 would be of a type available on the marketand known as fully convoluted ducts fabricated of rubber-impregnatedfiber glass cloth. These ducts are extremely flexible and can becompressed and elongated.

FIGURES 4, and 6 are detail views illustrating the means of adjustingthe abrasive pattern in relation to the size of the pipe to be cleaned.FIGURES 4 and 5 show the throwing wheel set at a position for large pipeand FIGURE 6 shows the throwing wheel set at a position for small pipe.

FIGURE 7 ilustrates one method of forming a connection between the feedpart of the throwing wheel and the flexible conduits.

While the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, we have shown in the drawings and shall herein describe in detaila preferred form, with the understanding that the present disclosure isto be considered as an exemplification of the principles of theinvention and is not intended to limit the invention to the forms shown.

In the form selected for purposes of disclosure in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3,the invention comprises as essential elements a supporting frame 2,centrifugal elements to hurl the abrasive 8, abrasive conveying elements3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12, abrasive cleaning system 13, 14, 15 and 16,and in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, means of adjusting the abrasive pattern inrelation to the axis of the pipe 9, 17, 18 and 19.

The relationship of the different axes as recited in the claims isillustrated in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, wherein line 29 is the axis of thepipe, line 30 the axis of rotation of plate 9 and 28 is the axis of thethrowing wheel.

Conveyor ring 3, rotating on rollers 4, and driven by belt 12 and motor11, elevates the abrasive 22 to the top of the apparatus. The abrasivefalls from the conveyor through trash screen 6 into hopper 5 and throughconduits 7, to the centrifugal elements 8. A number of centrifugalelements 8 are arranged in a manner to hurl the abrasive against theentire circumference of the pipe. The centrifugal elements 8 are mountedon rotating plates 9, containing apertures 17 which can be locked oncleaning chamber 25, in various positions by means of clamps 18. Theplate 9 is rotated to a point indicated on the index 19, which willcorrespond to the diameter of the pipe being cleaned, thus substantiallyall of the shot being hurled through the aperture 17, would strike thesurface of the pipe 10. This is an important feature of this inventionsince hurled abrasive not striking the pipe surface will strike somepoint on the interior of the cleaning chamber 25, which, in a few daysof operation, could seriously damage the apparatus, by erosion.

The cleaning chamber 25 confines the abrasive action by means of sidewalls 26 and end walls 27. Rubber curtains would be attached to the endwalls to fit each size of pipe being cleaned. Spent abrasive will fallthrough the bottom of the cleaning chamber 25, onto screen 13 and willflow to conveyor 3. Unwanted dust and fines will fall through screen 13.The heavy refuse drops into chamber 14 and the fine light particles aredrawn through conduit 15 by blower 16 and are discharged to atmosphere.

A number of wheels and rollers 24 are provided to center the pipe in theapparatus. Position of these elements can be changed to fit various sizepipes by jacks 23 or other means. One or more drive wheels 20, energizedby variable speed motor 21, are provided to move the apparatus along thepipe. In field operation the weight of the apparatus would be supportedby I-bolt 1, from a mobile crane or by other means.

It is contemplated that standard type of centrifugal blast units wouldbe incorporated in this apparatus and the size and shape of the aperture17, would be made to correspond with the abrasive pattern of the unitused.

I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus for non-rotatable pipe comprising, incombination, power driven centrifugal blast wheels, means of rotatingthe axes of said blast wheels between parallel and right angle positionswith respect to the axis of the pipe, means of locking the blast wheelsaxes in any position of said rotation, means for advancing the apparatusalong the pipe.

2. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of nonrotatable pipecomprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugalelements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can berotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means ofmoving the apparatus along the pipe at adjustable speeds.

3. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of non-rotatable pipecomprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugalelements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can berotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means ofmoving the apparatus along the pipe at adjustable speeds, means offeeding the abrasive to the centrifugal elements, means of collectingthe spent abrasive material and means of cleaning the abrasive material.

4. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of nonrotatable pipecomprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugalelements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can berotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means ofmoving the apparatus along the pipe, at adjustable speeds,

means of feeding the abrasive to the centrifugal elements,

means of collecting the spent abrasive material and means of cleaningthe abrasive material, and an elevator to convey the abrasive materialto the top of the apparatus.

5. A cleaning apparatus for the outer surface of nonrotatable pipecomprising, in combination, power driven abrasive hurling centrifugalelements adjustably mounted so that the hurled abrasive pattern can berotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the pipe, means ofmoving the apparatus along the pipe at adjustable speeds, means offeeding the abrasive to the centrifugal elements, means of collectingthe spent abrasive material and means of cleaning the abrasive material,and an elevator to convey the abrasive material to the top of theapparatus, all combined in one portable unit.

6. In a pipe cleaning apparatus using power driven abrasive hurlingcentrifugal elements, in combination, means of rotating the abrasivepatterns about axes at right angles to the axis of the pipe to causesubstantially all of the hurled abrasive to strike the surface ofdifferent sizes of pipe and means of securing the rotated elements.

7. In a pipe cleaning apparatus using power driven abrasive hurlingcentrifugal elements, in combination, means of rotating the abrasivepatterns about axes at right angles to the axis of the pipe to causesubstantially all of the hurled abrasive to strike the surface ofdifferent sizes of pipe and means of securing the rotated elements,means of moving the apparatus along the pipe, means of feeding abrasiveto the said centrifugal elements and means of collecting spent abrasive.

8. In a pipe cleaning apparatus using power driven abrasive hurlingcentrifugal elements, in combination, means of rotating the abrasivepatterns about axes at right angles to the axis of the pipe to causesubstantially all of the hurled abrasive to strike the surface ofdilferent sizes. of pipe and means of securing the rotated elements,means; of moving the apparatus along the pipe, means of feeding:abrasive t0 the said centrifugal elements and means of collecting spentabrasive, i neans of cleaning spent abrasive and means of confining thecleaning action within a chamber.

9. In a pipe cleaning apparatus having centrifugal blast units carriedby a non-rotating housing surrounding the pipe, means of mounting eachblast unit on a rotating plate on said housing, said plate to rotateabout an axis at right angles to both the face of the plate and the axisof the pipe, said plate having an aperture adapted to pass the gritdischarge from the blast Wheel, means of locking said plate at any pointof its rotation and means of indexing said plate in referenceto the sizeof pipe to be clean. V

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,131,770 Turnbllll Oct. Fl, 1938 ,4 9,989 Kr F b- 8, 9 9 2,742,739Smith Apr. 24, 1956

1. A CLEANING APPARATUS FOR NON-ROTATABLE PIPE COMPRISING, INCOMBINATION, POWER DRIVEN CENTRIFUGAL BLAST WHEELS, MEANS OF ROTATINGTHE AXES OF SAID BLAST WHEELS BETWEEN PARALLEL AND RIGHT ANGLE POSITIONSWITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF THE PIPE, MEANS OF LOCKING THE BLAST WHEELSAXES IN ANY POSITION OF SAID ROTATION, MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE APPARATUSALONG THE PIPE.